Category: World

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve has fallen below 300 million barrels, deepening concerns over Washington’s emergency oil cushion as prolonged Middle East supply disruptions force further withdrawals from government stockpiles. Federal inventory data for the week ended August 7 put the reserve at about 298.7 million barrels after a weekly draw of roughly 6.1 million barrels. That was the lowest level since 1983 and extended a sharp depletion that has gathered pace since Washington joined a coordinated international effort to release

Sydney Airport is facing intensifying scrutiny over air traffic control staffing after a cluster of runway and taxiway incidents exposed pressure on a system already struggling with delays, overtime and shortages of experienced controllers. Three safety events within two weeks have prompted investigations by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and raised questions about whether staffing resilience at the country’s busiest airport is keeping pace with traffic demand. Airservices Australia, which manages air traffic control, has acknowledged staffing difficulties and is moving

An explosion near the Zawiya power station has knocked several generating units offline, adding fresh pressure to Libya’s electricity network after a series of attacks on energy infrastructure in the strategic western city. The General Electricity Company of Libya said specialised teams were investigating the cause and technical circumstances of the blast, which occurred on Saturday, August 15. Engineers were also working to stabilise the national grid and gradually restore electricity to affected areas, with the utility expecting supplies to return

A powerful magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia’s Flores region early on Saturday, killing at least 20 people, damaging buildings and triggering landslides as rescuers struggled to reach communities near the epicentre. Claims circulating that the toll had reached 38 could not be corroborated by the strongest available official and international reporting as casualty assessments continued. The shallow undersea earthquake struck off East Nusa Tenggara on 15 August, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning and order residents of vulnerable coastal areas

Russia’s second domestically built ice-class LNG carrier has begun its first Arctic voyage, strengthening Moscow’s capacity to move liquefied natural gas despite Western sanctions and a shortage of specialised vessels. The Konstantin Posiet departed Bolshoy Kamen Bay in Primorsky Krai and headed towards the Northern Sea Route, the Arctic shipping corridor running along Russia’s northern coastline. Shipping data indicated that the vessel was due to reach an unspecified destination on August 30. The voyage marks an important step for Russia’s efforts

By Vishnu Raja Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has stepped up pressure on the government over allegations that Chinese troops have prevented Army patrols from reaching traditional points in Arunachal Pradesh, turning a localised border dispute into a fresh political confrontation over the handling of China. Gandhi said on Friday that the Army had been stopped from patrolling at several locations and described the development as “extremely alarming”. He questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and

Lionel Messi returned to action four days after the death of his father, but his comeback could not prevent Inter Miami from being eliminated from the Leagues Cup after a 3-2 defeat by Club León in Florida. Messi entered as a substitute at Nu Stadium on Wednesday, August 12, following several emotionally demanding days during which he travelled to Argentina for the funeral of his father, Jorge Messi. The 68-year-old died in Rosario after a prolonged illness, ending a relationship

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A dispute over an alleged “lungi-wala” remark directed at CPI MP John Brittas triggered uproar in the Rajya Sabha, a privilege notice and a show of solidarity by Opposition MPs wearing traditional southern attire. Brittas told the House on Wednesday that a fellow member had repeatedly used the expression while he was speaking during proceedings on August 10. He later identified the member outside the House as BJP MP Sushmita Dev. The alleged exchange occurred during discussion

Iran has reshaped its military leadership around battle-tested hardliners and ordered stronger offensive capabilities as negotiations with the United States remain deadlocked, signalling that Tehran is preparing for a prolonged confrontation rather than an early settlement to the Gulf war. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior commanders across the Armed Forces General Staff, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij, placing veterans with extensive operational, intelligence and asymmetric-warfare experience at the centre of the wartime command structure. The

President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing White House construction and modernisation projects costing at least $927 million, with much of the expenditure expected to be financed with public money transferred through federal accounts. The planned spending represents a substantial expansion of work across the presidential complex, encompassing the East Wing redevelopment, security infrastructure, a visitor screening centre, improvements around Lafayette Square and a new helipad. More than $100 million in work orders had already been issued by the end of

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A woman was handed over to police after allegedly throwing a slipper and stones at a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Pune’s Sasane Nagar area, triggering anger among residents and a wider debate over the response to the incident. CCTV footage from the site in Hadapsar showed the woman approaching the statue and throwing objects towards it. The statue was enclosed within a protective glass structure, which remained intact despite being struck. Videos of the incident

US Senator Bernie Sanders has urged OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta to pause the development of advanced artificial intelligence, arguing that emerging evidence of autonomous behaviour and powerful biological capabilities shows existing safety protections may no longer be sufficient. The Vermont senator addressed his demand to OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei and Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Sanders said the companies should honour earlier commitments to slow or stop development when advanced systems crossed critical safety thresholds.

Nvidia is joining forces with six of the world’s biggest investment groups to mobilise more than $500 billion for artificial intelligence infrastructure, creating financing platforms designed to expand access to the computing capacity underpinning the global AI boom. The chipmaker has signed memorandums of understanding with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR. The firms plan to establish independent platforms that will provide dedicated pools of third-party capital for Nvidia customers seeking to build large-scale AI computing facilities. Final

Amazon is facing a direct challenge to its delivery model in New York City after Mayor Zohran Mamdani threw his support behind legislation that would require operators of last-mile facilities to employ delivery and warehouse workers directly rather than relying on networks of subcontractors. The Delivery Protection Act, sponsored by City Council member Tiffany L. Cabán, would impose a licensing regime on certain warehouses and distribution centres handling the final stage of deliveries to consumers. It would also introduce safety,

Suisun City in Northern California has declared a state of emergency after malicious software compromised municipal computer systems, disrupting 911 routing, police and fire dispatch and several government services. Emergency calls continued to be answered after dispatch operations were shifted to Solano County. The cyberattack struck at about 5.45 am on Friday, August 7, forcing officials to shut down the city’s entire information technology network. The shutdown was intended to contain the intrusion and preserve digital evidence as federal investigators

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi found themselves at the same high-profile social gathering in New Delhi on Monday evening, even as their political confrontation over student protests continued to dominate Parliament. The two leaders attended the wedding reception of Revati Sule, daughter of NCP MP Supriya Sule and granddaughter of Sharad Pawar. The reception was held at Pawar’s residence on Janpath Road and drew senior politicians from across party lines.

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A Sanskrit recitation at IIT Delhi’s 57th Convocation has triggered a political argument over religion in educational institutions after Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioned why what she described as the Gayatri Mantra was played during the ceremony. The controversy quickly shifted, however, from whether a religious chant belonged at an academic event to what was actually recited. IIT Kanpur alumnus Gyan C Mehta, a 1968 Physics graduate and gold medallist, challenged the identification of the verses as

Yemen’s Houthi movement said it attacked Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery with a drone on Sunday, escalating a confrontation that has again placed the kingdom’s energy infrastructure and Red Sea shipping routes under pressure. Saudi authorities confirmed that a fire broke out at the Aramco facility in Jazan, in the kingdom’s southwest, and said emergency teams extinguished it. No injuries were reported. Saudi officials did not immediately confirm that the blaze was caused by the Houthi operation. The Houthis, who control much of

AI Financial Corp has sold its main operating subsidiary for a $12 million secured promissory note and shares in the buyer, marking a dramatic reversal for a fintech company that surged past a $1 billion market valuation after tying its fortunes to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture. The Las Vegas-based company, formerly known as ALT5 Sigma Corp, completed the sale of Quebec-based ALT 5 Sigma Canada Inc to privately held Prime Delta Corp on August 3. AI Financial will receive a

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, describing their interaction as detailed and enriching as attention grows around his possible role in the party’s preparations for the Punjab Assembly election next year. ][1]) Chadha shared photographs of the 8 August meeting on social media and called it “a morning I will cherish”. He said he was grateful for Modi’s time and the opportunity to benefit from the Prime Minister’s insights and guidance.

Beijing has been designated the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for 2029, placing the Chinese capital at the centre of a global programme examining how architecture and urban planning can create more sustainable and liveable cities. UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany approved the designation following a recommendation from the Joint UNESCO-International Union of Architects Committee for the World Capital of Architecture, chaired by French architect Dominique Perrault. Beijing will become the fourth city to hold the title after Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen

Spain has introduced temporary border controls for travellers arriving from Italy, escalating a migration dispute between Madrid and Rome after Italy tightened checks on arrivals from Spain following the mass crossing of migrants into Ceuta. The Spanish Interior Ministry said the controls would take effect from midnight on Saturday and remain in place until September 7. The measure applies to arrivals from Italy and mirrors controls imposed by Rome after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco into Spain’s North

President Donald Trump has ordered a new layer of trade protection for the US solar supply chain, imposing tariffs and minimum import prices designed to favour domestic manufacturing while raising the prospect of higher costs for developers and households adopting solar power. The measures place a 15% tariff on imported polysilicon and products derived from it, alongside minimum prices covering key stages of crystalline-silicon solar manufacturing. The price floors are $21 per kilogram for polysilicon, $100 per kilogram for ingots

BTS have pushed their comeback album ARIRANG beyond 4 billion Spotify streams, setting a new speed record for an album by a group and by an Asian act on the world’s largest subscription music-streaming service. The milestone was reached about 137 days after the album’s 20 March release, extending an extraordinary streaming run that began when all 14 tracks entered Spotify’s global chart simultaneously. The performance makes ARIRANG the first album released in 2026 to cross 4 billion streams on the